Affirmative action: Supreme Court decisions

Every U.S. Supreme Court decision from the 1946 through 2025 Terms that the Supreme Court Database classifies under the issue “Affirmative action,” part of the Civil Rights area.

26decisions

50%favorable to the petitioner

15%unanimous

3altered precedent or struck a law

Decisions by decade

1970s6

1980s11

1990s2

2000s3

2010s3

2020s1

Most majority opinions

William J. Brennan Jr.6

Anthony M. Kennedy4

William H. Rehnquist3

Sandra Day O'Connor3

Lewis F. Powell Jr.3

John G. Roberts Jr.1

Legal provisions most often involved

Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection)10

Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII)6

Fifth Amendment (equal protection)3

Federal Rules of Civil or Appellate Procedure1

5 U.S.C. § 71511

91 Stat. 1161

Rehabilitation Act1

Article III, Section 2, Paragraph 1 (case or controversy requirement)1

All 26 decisions, newest first

Students for Fair Admissions Inc. v. President & Fellows of Harvard CollegeAltered precedent
600 U.S. 181Decided June 29, 20236–2John G. Roberts Jr.
Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin
579 U.S. 365Decided June 23, 20164–3Anthony M. Kennedy
Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action
572 U.S. 291Decided April 22, 20146–2Anthony M. Kennedy
Abigail Noel Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin
570 U.S. 297Decided June 24, 20137–1Anthony M. Kennedy
Frank Ricci v. John Destefano
557 U.S. 557Decided June 29, 20095–4Anthony M. Kennedy
Jennifer Gratz and Patrick Hamacher v. Lee Bollinger
539 U.S. 244Decided June 23, 20036–3William H. Rehnquist
Barbara Grutter v. Lee Bollinger
539 U.S. 306Decided June 23, 20035–4Sandra Day O'Connor
Texas v. Francois Daniel Lesage and United States
528 U.S. 18Decided November 29, 19999–0Per curiam
Adarand Constructors, Inc. v. Federico PenaAltered precedent
515 U.S. 200Decided June 12, 19955–4Sandra Day O'Connor
Metro Broadcasting, Inc. v. Federal Communications Commission
497 U.S. 547Decided June 27, 19905–4William J. Brennan Jr.
Martin v. Wilks
490 U.S. 755Decided June 12, 19895–4William H. Rehnquist
City of Richmond v. J. A. Croson CompanyLaw held unconstitutional
488 U.S. 469Decided January 23, 19896–3Sandra Day O'Connor
Johnson v. Transportation Agency
480 U.S. 616Decided March 24, 19876–3William J. Brennan Jr.
United States v. Paradise
480 U.S. 149Decided February 25, 19875–4William J. Brennan Jr.
Local 28 of the Sheet Metal Workers' International Association v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
478 U.S. 421Decided July 2, 19865–4William J. Brennan Jr.
Local Number 93 v. City of Cleveland
478 U.S. 501Decided July 2, 19866–3William J. Brennan Jr.
Wygant v. Jackson Board of Education
476 U.S. 267Decided May 19, 19865–4Lewis F. Powell Jr.
Firefighters Local Union No. 1784 v. Stotts
467 U.S. 561Decided June 12, 19846–3Byron R. White
Weinberger v. Rossi
456 U.S. 25Decided March 31, 19829–0William H. Rehnquist
Minnick v. California Department of Corrections
452 U.S. 105Decided June 1, 19818–1John Paul Stevens
Fullilove v. Klutznick
448 U.S. 448Decided July 2, 19806–3Warren E. Burger
United Steelworkers of America v. Weber
443 U.S. 193Decided June 27, 19795–2William J. Brennan Jr.
Southeastern Community College v. Davis
442 U.S. 397Decided June 11, 19799–0Lewis F. Powell Jr.
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
438 U.S. 265Decided June 26, 19785–4Lewis F. Powell Jr.
Morton v. Mancari
417 U.S. 535Decided June 17, 19749–0Harry A. Blackmun
Defunis v. Odegaard
416 U.S. 312Decided April 23, 19745–4Per curiam

Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error